Meet the 5 NWSL MVP nominees

The NWSL recently announced five players nominated for the NWSL MVP award. The talent this season, compared to others, has been exciting to watch as some of these players made their league debuts, are still coming into their own, or near the end of their special careers.

NWSL MVP nominees

1. Temwa Chawinga, KC Current

Chawinga has made a name for herself in her NWSL debut season with the KC Current. The Malawian broke the regular season scoring record, and has helped the Current become one of the top teams in the league. In addition to her ability to score, Chawinga is very good at seeing the field, receiving passes, challenging her defenders, and finding gaps in the back line to run through. She is a dominating forward, making her one of the front runners for MVP.

2. Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit

2024 has been Rodman's year. First, she won an Olympic gold medal, was a finalist for the Ballon d'Or, and now she is in consideration for the league MVP title. Rodman is the youngest player in NWSL history to record 50 career goals and has been consistently on the top of the scoring sheet. Rodman can score, but she is also quick in transition and a leader to a young Washington Spirit squad. This is Rodman's first NWSL MVP nomination.

3. Marta, Orlando Pride

Marta has been one of the most dominant players in women's professional soccer for over a decade. Her legacy stems far beyond the NWSL, but this season, the Orlando Pride and their captain are having one of their best seasons in history. Marta is a talented midfielder, with the skill and finesse of a forward and the ability to play lockdown defense like a center-back; Marta is the complete package and a large reason for Orlando's success.

4. Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns

Smith previously won the MVP award in 2022, making her the first American to win the award since Lindsay Horan in 2018. Smith has been dominant in Portland for years and is another young talent, like Rodman, who still has so much left in the tank to show soccer fans worldwide. In 19 matches this season, Smith had 12 goals and eight assists.

5. Barbara Banda, Orlando Pride

Another significant contributor to Orlando's success this year is Barbara Banda, a first-year player in the NWSL who has, like Chawinga, torn up the scoresheet in her debut. Banda is known worldwide for her goal-scoring ability, landing on Golden Boot award lists from her time representing her home country of Zambia. This year, she broke the record for goal contributions by a Pride player in a single season with 15.